Phillies Notebook: Hamels has a rooting interest in All-Star Game

The Phillies have spent the past 3 years collecting Cy Youngcaliber pitchers as if they were stamps. But at the unofficial midway point of the season, their top candidate for this year's award just might be the guy who has been with the team all along.

After holding the Braves to one run in eight innings in yesterday's 14-1 victory, Cole Hamels ranks in the top five in the National League in nearly every major pitching category with a 2.32 ERA (third behind Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens and San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong), 132 innings (behind Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee) and 121 strikeouts (fifth behind Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, Halladay, Lee and San Francisco's Tim Lincecum).

Last night, Hamels, Halladay and Lee flew to Phoenix to take part in the All-Star Game festivities. Because Hamels started yesterday, he is ineligible to appear in the game. But the Phillies don't mind because they'll have their 27-year-old starter available to pitch Saturday. And Hamels does not sound too upset either.

"It'll be fun really just to enjoy it and not stress about it," Hamels said. "Knowing that the game does matter, you want to have home-field advantage [in the World Series], you don't want to be that guy that gave it up for the National League. So I think that I can just go out and root on my teammates and really just kind of enjoy the moment."

Contreras setback

 

While closer Ryan Madson is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla., and could be activated when the season resumes Friday in New York, the Phillies could be without Jose Contreras for a significant amount of time after a setback in his recovery from an right elbow strain. The righthander, who has appeared in just 17 games thanks to two stints on the disabled list, is scheduled to fly to Los Angeles to visit specialist Lewis Yocum. Contreras, who opened the season as the team's closer and was expected to play a key role in the bullpen this year and next, has not pitched since June 19.

Other injuries